A sushi restaurant shut down by the Department of Health last year has reopened.

Sake Sushi in Alexandria closed last July when inspectors cited the restaurant for more than 50 violations during a one-month period. A letter signed by the state's health officer said the restaurant was closed in part because of the recurrence and seriousness of the violations.

Central Louisiana's Regional Sanitarian Director Randy Ducote said Sake Sushi was issued a new permit after complying with the the Office of Public Health and correcting structural concerns and their food-handling practices.

"We are not in the business of closing businesses forever," Ducote said. "It was always our intent they would reopen."

Sake Sushi opened in 2009 and has since expanded to Shreveport and Tyler, Texas, according to the restaurant's website.

Ducote talked to The Town Talk last July about the factors that lead to a restaurant being closed. He described it as a last-resort attempt when violations cannot be addressed with standard interventions.

Ducote explained that the majority of restaurant violations are corrected with inspectors still on site, and inspectors revisit until ones that can't immediately be corrected are addressed.

Sake Sushi was inspected for reopening on Feb. 9, according to eatsafe.louisiana.gov.

In the February report, inspectors noted five critical and six noncritical violations at the restaurant. Among the critical violations was the sighting of rodents and rodent droppings. The inspection also found food labeled improperly and dirty surfaces, dishes and utensils.